OUR VIEW: Don't add partisanship to local elections

Do Montgomery County voters want partisan politics in local government? Should we elect our sheriff, county mayor and commissioner, circuit court judge or county highway supervisor as a Republican or a Democrat?

Montgomery County GOP leaders may make that decision for us in a vote Tuesday on whether to call a party primary to precede the next county General Election.

Currently, the county has nonpartisan elections for local offices, although state law allows county parties to designate party nominees if they wish. In the city of Clarksville, the city charter specifies nonpartisan elections.

Republicans have state-level offices firmly in their control, and the party is now making a move to consolidate its power by urging county Republican committees to designate nominees for city and county elective offices where its possible.

"We've had a lot of success with our state-level candidates," Devaney recently told The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, referring to the GOP supermajority in the legislature and Republicans holding the governor's office, both U.S. Senate seats and seven of nine U.S. House seats. "Now, we're ready to look at the local offices - county mayors, sheriffs and maybe a few judgeships."

"These are places where Democrats still have a hold," he said. "It's their bench" for candidates who could in the future seek a state-level office. With local-level partisan campaigns, he said, "We can build our bench."

It's easy to understand, given the Darwinism of politics, why Republican leaders want to do this. They have a boot on the throat of Democrats statewide and they are looking to solidify their gains for generations to come.

But the question here is whether this is a good idea for local government.

That question and others should be carefully weighed by county GOP leaders before endorsing local-office primaries.

With voter participation generally weak and getting weaker, does further fragmenting the process by adding elections make sense? Do we really need to spend another $100,000 to hold extra primary elections?

Would adding partisanship to the local judiciary and local law enforcement improve the administration of justice? If you are a well-known partisan, would you want to stand before a locally elected sheriff, prosecutor or judge who has proclaimed support for the other party?

The Montgomery County tradition of nonpartisan local offices appears to be working well. We're a thriving, growing community where leaders have been able to work together on economic development, support of Fort Campbell, support of a quality public school system, and success in working with state government, whether it's been led by a Republican or Democratic governor.

Would partisanship poison the water and limit our progress? The reasonable answer - maybe - is too big a risk.

For that reason, we urge the Montgomery County Republican Committee to reject a move to primary elections for local offices.

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OUR VIEW: Don't add partisanship to local elections

Do Montgomery County voters want partisan politics in local government? Should we elect our sheriff, county mayor and commissioner, circuit court judge or county highway supervisor as a Republican or